(19)
(11) EP 1 304 688 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
06.09.2006 Bulletin 2006/36

(43) Date of publication A2:
23.04.2003 Bulletin 2003/17

(21) Application number: 02258565.7

(22) Date of filing: 02.06.1992
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
G11B 7/09(2006.01)
G11B 19/12(2006.01)
G11B 11/105(2006.01)
 G11B 7/007(2006.01)
G11B 7/24(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO

(30) Priority: 04.06.1991 US 710226

(60) Divisional application:
06008917.4 / 1696428

(62) Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
00108311.2 / 1030293
96203661.2 / 0773541
92305061.1 / 0517490

(71) Applicant: MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8310 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Best, Margaret Evans, c/o IBM United Kingdom Ltd
    Winchester, Hampshire SO21 2JN (GB)
  • Rosen, Hal Jervis, c/o IBM United Kingdom Ltd
    Winchester, Hampshire SO21 2JN (GB)
  • Ruben, Kurt Allan, c/o IBM United Kingdom Ltd
    Winchester, Hampshire SO21 2JN (GB)
  • Strand, Timothy Carl, c/o IBM United Kingdom Ltd
    Winchester, Hampshire SO21 2JN (GB)

(74) Representative: Pfenning, Meinig & Partner GbR 
Patent- und Rechtsanwälte Theresienhöhe 13
80339 München
80339 München (DE)

   


(54) Optical data storage system


(57) An optical data storage system is disclosed which comprises an optical data storage medium having at least one contiguous data surface, each data surface having a first continuous track portion at a first elevation (a groove or a land) and having a second continuous track portion at a second elevation different from the first elevation (a land or a groove), a radiation source, a focusing device, a device for moving the medium relative to the radiation beam, a data signal signal generator (262) an optical detector (234), a comparator (298) connected to the detector for generating a tracking signal, an inversion device (297) connected to the comparator for selectively generating an inverted tracking signal, and a beam positioning device to position the beam along the first continuous tracking portion when the tracking error is received and to position the beam along the second continuous tracking portion when the inverted tracking error is received.







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